Springtime brings some dog, cat issues for county

Dogs and cats that run free in the springtime are often caught and brought to the McDonough County Animal Shelter.

The disposition of some of those animals was discussed Thursday by the county board's planning committee.

The committee received a report indicating 11 cats were adopted from the shelter in March and that there were 10 cats remaining in the shelter at the end of the month. The report also stated that 11 feral cats were euthanized.

Dr. Karen Blakeley, county veterinarian, said some of those cats were being fed by a person who recently died, and that neighbors have been trapping them and taking them to the animal shelter. She also said non-feral cats pregnant with kittens are starting to show up at the shelter.

The shelter report indicated that 17 dogs had been adopted and 14 were reclaimed in March. There were six dogs remaining in the shelter at the end of the month.

Committee chairman George Dixon said some people have been breaking into the outdoor shelter pen at night to take back their dogs that were dropped off earlier by police. He said additional locks have been attached to the fence.

The committee was also told that letters have gone out to the listed owners of 600 dogs that were registered with the county in 2013, but for whom no dog tags were purchased so far this year.

February was the deadline for dog registrations.

Dixon also commented on his most recent visit to the animal shelter.

"There is almost an unending stream of traffic into that office," he said. "I'm glad there's public interest and I believe the new computer put in the office will improve efficiency and allow for quicker filing and retrieval of reports."

Committee member Alice Henry said bottles will be available by the end of the month at Farm King for people to collect drinking water samples for analysis. This is primarily for homes that use well water.

County Board Chairman Scott Schwerer said he will be asking the board next week to approve a resolution to be sent to the Illinois General Assembly.

It urges lawmakers to retain the surcharge on cellular telephone bills that goes to support the county's Enhanced 911 Center.

"There aren't enough land lines left to generate sufficient funds to support this emergency service," Schwerer said. "The cell phone surcharge is also necessary."